By Blake Lehmann
NKyTribune sportswriter
Three rain delays weren’t enough to stop the opening game of the 9th Region baseball tournament at Thomas More Stadium in Florence on Wednesday and Highlands put in a team effort to take down Ryle, 5-4, in a dramatic extra-inning affair.
In the eighth inning, Highlands junior Brennan Kelsay laid down a bunt that Ryle’s first baseman was unable to field and junior Jack Hendrix scored the winning run for the Bluebirds to advance to the semifinal round.
In other 9th Region first-round games Wednesday, Newport Central Catholic pulled off a major upset by defeating Conner, 7-4, in eight innings and St. Henry got past Covington Catholic, 6-4.
The Beechwood vs. Dixie Heights game was moved back to 5 p.m. Thursday at Thomas More University Stadium.
Conner was ranked No. 8 in the state coaches poll and entered the region tournament with a school-record 29 wins this season, including a 6-1 victory over NewCath on April 30.
Highlands (19-16) received a strong pitching performance from senior right-hander Abe Hils, who gave up two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts in five innings.
But Ryle senior Josh Furtado also had a good day on the mound, allowing only three runs in six innings.
Ryle jumped ahead in the first inning when right fielder Roman Furata’s double brought center fielder Landon Sawyer in from first. Furtado protected that slim lead before the first of three weather delays occurred in the second inning, halting the action for around fifteen minutes.
The Bluebirds’ offense came alive in the fifth inning. After a Ryle throwing error allowed the tying run to score, Hendrix stepped to the plate and belted a three-run homer to left-center field to put his team out front 4-1.
The Raiders got one run back in the top of the sixth by way of a sacrifice fly, but the big blow came in the top of the seventh when senior Brayden Stewart blasted a two-run bomb to straightaway left field that tied the game.
That’s when sloppy field conditions reared its ugly head. After the third rain delay, the turf playing surface hampered base runners on both teams. A Highlands player was caught stealing in the bottom of the seventh when he slid over the second base bag. In the top of the eighth, Ryle junior T.J. Schira laced a triple into the right-center gap, but he was caught off third and tagged out.
“The conditions were difficult for both teams and we had to adapt to that,” said Highlands coach Jeremy Baioni. “We talked about it and said, ‘We’re not going to slide, we’re going to come straight into the bag.’”
The semifinal match-ups on Saturday will be Highlands vs. St. Henry at 5 p.m. and NewCath vs. the Beechwood-Dixie Heights winner at 8 p.m. Both games will be played at Thomas More University Stadium.
Campbell County advanced to the 10th Region final with a 7-3 win over Montgomery County on Wednesday. The Camels will play George Rogers Clark in the championship game at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Harrison County High School.
Semifinal games in the 8th Region tournament on Friday are Walton-Verona vs. North Oldham at 6 p.m. and Simon Kenton vs. Woodford County at 8 p.m. at the University of Louisville.